


The Coven of Sybrais

by Special



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Cult-ish, Death, Elf, F/F, Fantasy, Fantasy World, Gay, I originally wrote this for a school project so it's family-friendly, It's kind of sad towards the end but, LGBTQ+ relationships, Lesbian, M/M, Magic, Mention of alcohol, OCs - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, Potions, Wands, Warlocks, Witch - Freeform, Witches, club scene, coven - Freeform, dryad, lesbian couple, low-key depressing, that's fine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:54:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28835205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Special/pseuds/Special
Summary: It was 7 A.M., the room was brisk, the grounds were misty, and it might have been the hallucinogenic pills, but I was pretty sure I had just witnessed my best friend being attacked by an old guy in a white robe.





	The Coven of Sybrais

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> I'm normally a fanfiction author, but I had to write this for my school's creative writing project. Not my best work, but I think it's decent. I'm also a Canadian, so if you see words spelled with 'our' instead of 'or', that's why.
> 
> Enjoy, I guess :)

It was 7 A.M., the room was brisk, the grounds were misty, and it might have been the hallucinogenic pills, but I was pretty sure I had just witnessed my best friend being attacked by an old guy in a white robe. 

My cat Wednesday was perched on the window ledge next to me. She looked down in intrigue at the crime. The only thing I could do was stare in horror. Niamh—the best friend being attacked—struggled against the man’s arms. My other best friend, Arden, walked past them without batting an eyelash. He held three foam containers in his left hand and called out to Niamh. I couldn’t hear what he said. 

My cat and I were watching from my loft. It was happening in the vast yard behind my apartment building, but the fog blocked me from seeing anything past them. Arden didn’t seem to be concerned with what was happening behind him.

I pulled out my phone, still in shock, and snapped a picture of the scene. When I glanced at the Camera app, I saw that everything was happening. I was, in fact, not hallucinating. After taking hallucinogenic pills, I figured that the situation going down in the courtyard behind my loft might be an illusion. 

Finally, Niamh managed to shove the guy off of her. She sprinted past Arden and into my apartment building. The man in the white robe gave up his assault and walked away. I managed to take another picture of his face before he left my view. 

“Jeez Wednesday, did you see what just happened?” I rested my hand on the black cat’s head and softly petted her. Wednesday’s fur tickled my fingers as I grazed my hand over her ears. Her beady, green eyes stared back at me blankly. Soon enough, she retreated to her pile of cardboard boxes in the corner of my living room. I followed in suit but instead took a seat on my couch. 

It faced a small TV, where acoustic covers of pop music were playing. There was rose incense burning on the window ledge I had just been seated near. It was my favourite scent in the world—it provided a way for me to relax. That fragrance was precisely what I needed after witnessing whatever just happened. There were also different meanings for each type of incense. Rose represented love. 

Between the wall and the couch, there was a coffee table made of polished oak wood. All the furniture in my house had the same oak wood accents. There were potions strewn about on top of the table. 

You see, I’m something of a witch. It wasn’t a taboo thing either. In Sybaris, the country I lived in, there were all sorts of fantasy creatures. We used magic in our day-to-day lives. I happened to be a master of that magic. The most common species’ were elves, fae, goblins, mermaids, and banshees. There were many other types, however. 

Behind my living room, there was a small kitchen. I never really cooked and always ended up ordering take-out. The most impressive meal I had ever made myself was pre-packaged ramen I got from the dollar store. Then, in front of my living room, a hallway led to a few different places. 

My bedroom was on the left side of the hall with a connected bathroom. I used my room for potion-making. On the right, there was a library filled to the brim with tomes and spellbooks. I had studied them ever since I learned how to read. Finally, there was a surprisingly spacious closet that belonged to Wednesday. I had renovated it, so she had somewhere to sleep. I never let the cat into my bedroom; she had a knack for knocking over all my potions. The ones on the coffee table were empty so that Wednesday couldn’t spill anything. 

Like I said earlier, all of my furniture had dark oak accents on it. The set was gifted to me by my wealthy aunt. After my parents died in a car crash, she raised me as a teenager. I couldn’t be happier with the life she gave me. 

Anyways, getting back on topic, I examined the two photos I had taken of the courtyard. It was quiet for a minute or two before Arden burst through the door. “OH MY GOD!” He shouted dramatically. His exclamation startled Wednesday and caused her to jump out of her cardboard boxes. She rocketed to her closet and hid behind the scratching pool. “Deus meus!” I yelled back in Latin. “You are so loud.” I stood up and approached him. He slid the three foam boxes onto the kitchen counter. 

I grabbed the third box, so it didn’t fall off the surface. Before I opened it, the smell of an eggs benedict breakfast filled my nose. Arden also slid his spare key onto the counter. I assumed that was how he got in. “Juno,” He started, hand placed up by his neck. “Tragedy has struck.” He let out a groan of sadness. I rolled my eyes at his hysterics and opened the foam container. 

I was right; Arden had brought me a delicious eggs benedict breakfast. There was my favourite hollandaise sauce sprayed on top. I grabbed a cold, metal fork from the sink, and began poking at it. 

I examined Arden. His complexion was the complete opposite of mine. He had pale skin, neatly brushed blonde hair, and blue eyes, but I had short, messy brown hair, tan skin, and olive eyes. We completely contrasted with each other. And as usual, he was sporting a neon jumpsuit. Arden was an elf from one of the more wealthy provinces of Sybaris. 

“Why are you here? Today isn’t one of our allotted brunch days.” I took a seat on one of my bar stools. They had black cushioned seats and oak wood legs. 

“If you let me finish, I’ll tell you!” He snapped. I started to chuckle a bit but was cut off by Niamh barrelling into my loft. The strong scent of lavender entered the room with her and mixed with my rose incense. 

Niamh also contrasted Arden’s complexion. She had long, curly black hair and smooth dark skin. She was also fairly short compared to Arden, and I. Niamh usually wore neutrals and more practical clothes since she was a gardener. She was a half-breed between a fae and a human. She lived with dryads; fairies of the forests. 

Niamh stood there and heaved for a minute. “Thanks for the help down there, Arden.” She said sarcastically. She sent him a nasty glare before collapsing on the couch. “WHAT?!” He screamed. “That guy was attacking me, and you didn’t help!” She poked her head over the couch and continued glaring at him. 

“He was attacking you!? I thought you guys were friends or something!” I sighed at him and began eating. “I had some hallucinogenic pills for my headache and thought that I was hallucinating when I saw what was happening out the window. Oh, and by the way, I took a picture of that guy’s face if you want to call the cops or something.” I informed Niamh while tossing her my phone. 

Somehow, even though it was freezing outside and Arden took his time walking here, the food was still hot. I was enjoying my meal thoroughly. “Did you tell her yet?” Niamh asked Arden while motioning to me. “No.” He shook his head. 

“Tell me what?” I questioned. I put my fork down as Niamh turned to me. 

“Juno, yesterday, somebody kidnapped Niall.” 

That was probably one of the biggest record scratch moments in my life. 

“W-what?” 

“Someone broke into our cabin. Niall’s gone. When I woke up, the kidnappers shattered the window, and he was missing. The car was still there, his bag was still there, his shoes were still by the door, and his phone was still by the bed. He doesn’t leave the house without it.” 

I shook my head in disbelief. Niamh was quite close to Niall; she must have been so torn up. “I am so sorry, Niamh. That’s horrible.” I muttered. My hand reached out and grabbed her comfortingly. “The police have already started investigating. The stations are super backed up, however. They’re getting cases like this all over the country.” Niamh told me. 

“Yeah. If you watched the news lately, there are all sorts of cases like your brother’s popping up. Half-breeds are going missing everywhere in Sybaris.” Arden stated with a depressed tone. “The only piece of evidence other than the shattered window was this weird pendant that must have fallen off the kidnapper.” Niamh pulled out her phone and flashed me the image. 

It was a gold circle with a crescent attached to the left and right sides. 

I immediately shot up from my seat. “Jeez...” Arden muttered to himself. I had nearly knocked my stool over. I recognized the symbol; it was from Pagan witchcraft. “What? What is it?” Niamh could sense my distress and stood up. I sprinted through the hall, all the way to my library. Arden and Niamh followed me into the room. Wednesday had gone from her closet to being sprawled out on top of one of my bookcases. 

“Juno!” Niamh grabbed my shoulder and forced me to look at her. “What is it?” She asked me. “This is a Pagan symbol,” I informed her. I searched through my library and tried to find a book that would translate the symbol. 

Finally, I found the book. The symbol was on one of the first pages. “See—the symbol means ‘Goddess.’ It’s from Pagan witchcraft.” I pointed to the faded page. The corners were worn out after generations of being passed through witch families. 

My mom was the witch of the family. I was born before she married my dad. My actual father was a wizard that supposedly lived with mermaids in the water province. The man that my mom married was human. 

“So, what does this mean? Does this symbol give us any leads?” Arden snatched the book from my hands and examined the page intensely. Wednesday leaped down from the bookshelf, landing on Niamh’s shoulder. She jumped a little bit but soon placed my pet down on the floor. 

“I bet that guy who attacked you has something to do with it.” I tapped my chin, beginning to piece things together. “You know what?” I exclaimed while grabbing Niamh by the shoulders. “Juno, you’re scaring me. What is it?” She asked, tensing up at my touch. “We’re gonna find your brother,” I told her with a smile. 

“What in the world are you talking about?” Niamh gave me a concerned look. I rushed out of the library and into my bedroom. Her and Arden followed me but made sure Wednesday didn’t sneak in and knock my potions over. I took a seat on a comfy rolling chair. It was at my desk, where my laptop had been left open. 

I spun around a few times before facing Arden and Niamh. “We have more than enough evidence: a picture of that guy’s face, this pendant. If the police are too busy to take care of this, then we need to take matters into our own hands.” I said, feeling righteous as ever. 

All Niamh did was give me a blank stare. “Juno, don’t kid yourself. We’re not police officers; this isn’t a movie. We have to wait for them to figure it out or for Niall to turn up.” She said with a grim tone. “If we have a chance to find your brother, Niamh, don’t you think we should take it?” Arden asked while crossing his arms. I was glad to know he was on my side. 

She let out a sigh while taking a seat on my bed. My whole bedroom was dark—I had forgotten to open my blinds that morning. Arden took the initiative to flip on a light so we could all see. “Yeah, fine, go ahead. I just don’t think we’re going to find anything.” Niamh groaned. My friend was defeated, and I hoped there was a sliver of a chance that we could find her sibling. 

I cracked my knuckles while turning back to my laptop. “Let’s find Niall.” 

For the next 9 hours, all three of us lounged around my loft and tried to get clues on this disappearance. Niamh called every few hours to see if the officers got any leads. Every single time, they told her they were swamped with other cases and hadn’t gotten anywhere. Meanwhile, Arden and I searched the internet for this mysterious man with a white robe. We spent hours watching conspiracy videos about Pagan myths and devious plots that might be related. 

We hadn’t gotten anywhere until around 7 P.M. We were so deep in the internet, and I had forgotten how we got there in the first place. Arden eventually found a video titled ‘The Coven’ that could give us some leads. 

“Ever since 3782, there have been many sightings of strange men lurking in the shadows. They wear white robes, and all carry this pendant,” 

An image of the ‘Goddess’ Pagan symbol faded onto the screen. 

“which means ‘Goddess’ in Pagan witchcraft. Many theorize that this religion is linked to the sudden surge of kidnappings happening around the country. As the number of abductions rises, so have the disappearances and reports of assault by these cloaked figures. Around 1450, there was lots of folklore about people in white robes that would kidnap half-breeds to purge the world of this new species. Back then, it was considered taboo to have a child with someone outside of your species. Now, there is a wide-spread fear among theorists that The Coven has returned with the same motive...” 

The video ended, and the creepy background music faded away. I closed off the tape and leaned back into my couch. Arden scoffed while standing up. “That sounds like what we’re looking for!” I silently celebrated the fact that the past day had finally paid off. “So, what now? We have no clue where to find this ‘Coven,’ and even if we did, we couldn’t call the cops or anything. I have been all day, and they are in a deadlock.” Niamh sighed while shoving her face in her hands. 

“Hold up; I have a great idea.” I held out a finger and pulled out my phone. Although I failed to put the correct password multiple times, I made it to my browser. “We can do a reverse search of the guy’s face to try and find any matches.” I quickly inserted the image into the box and waited for results. “That is probably the smartest thing you have ever done,” Arden stated while sitting next to me. Wednesday was stretched out over Niamh’s lap and was digging her claws into my friend’s leg. 

“I’m not sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment,” I muttered while lightly shoving Arden. Finally, the search finished, and we got a link to a woman’s social media page. “What are we supposed to do with this?” Arden asked, leaning close to my screen. “Shhh, just wait,” I whispered. As it loaded, we were met with a picture. The woman was with what seemed to be her husband and kids. 

It was the same husband who attacked Niamh earlier that morning. I let out a victorious yell, causing Wednesday to jump in fear. “We got him!” Arden laughed happily. Niamh didn’t say anything but instead snatched the phone from my hands. “W-well, we have to go after him, we have to see if h-he has my brother.” She stuttered in shock. 

“How are we supposed to find him, though?” Arden questioned. I took my phone back and began scrolling through the woman’s timeline. “Look, there are a few images at the same place.” I tapped on one, and the photo expanded. It was a picture of the woman and the man at a club. “Hey, I recognize that place!” Arden stuck his finger in my face and pointed at the background. 

“That’s Archangel! I used to perform there before I got my first real dancing role. It’s a club downtown.” He informed us. “This was posted on Sunday, two weeks ago.” I tapped my fingers against my case. Suddenly, a large gust of cold wind entered the room. I shivered and pointed to the open window. 

Before I could say anything, Arden slammed it close. “Thanks...” I muttered, focusing my attention back on the phone. “The woman posted all of these images on a Sunday.” I reviewed the captions, confirming they were in the present tense. “She must have posted it that night. So, she always goes to Archangel on Sundays.” I smiled at my genius. 

“Luckily for us, today is Sunday.” Arden replicated my grin. I put my phone down on the coffee table and shared a high-five with him. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Niamh smiling softly. She was beginning to believe in our plan. I grabbed her hand and yanked her upwards. 

“Everything’s going to work out. This guy will give us all the answers, and we’ll find Niall.” 

She gave me a hopeful smile. Arden wrapped his arms around us, enveloping Niamh and me in a hug. I laughed slightly and enjoyed the moment of happiness with my friends. It was the first one we’d had all day. 

“Now,” 

I let go of them both and backed up. 

“Let’s get ready.” 

~

We ended up leaving the house around 11 P.M. Women could get in free before midnight, but it took a while to drive all the way downtown, and we didn’t want to be late. I insisted that we dress up just for the fun of it. We needed something to lighten our moods since the situation’s weight was stifling all three of us. I made sure to bring a handbag with emergency potions and my wand. We didn’t know how dangerous this would be. 

When our cab finally made it to Archangel, it was 11:50 P.M. We had ten more minutes to make it inside before we had to pay. Unluckily, the line went all the way down the block. I slouched down and groaned. “Are you kidding me? The line is kilometers long! How are we supposed to get in before paying the crazy entry fee now?” I complained loudly. 

“Don’t worry; I got this.” Arden gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder and walked up to the bouncer. “Oh no, he’s gonna get himself killed…” Niamh muttered. I mirrored that fear as he stopped in front of the bouncer. 

They didn’t say anything, but the man wrapped his arms around Arden in a hug. 

That was probably the second biggest record scratch moment in my life. 

My friend turned back to us and waved Niamh and me over frantically. We approached the two in shock. There were lots of noises distracting me from my thought process: the loud beeping of cars, the distant thumping of dubstep music from the club, the clicking of my heels, and the chatter of people waiting in line. 

“Guys, meet my new boyfriend, Kieran!” Arden cheered happily. My jaw dropped, and I exchanged surprised glances with Niamh. “Since when did you get a boyfriend!?” I shouted, causing estranged looks from those in line. 

Kieran was a very buff guy, around 6” 7 tall. He had dark skin and bleached blonde hair. He was also a centaur, which didn’t surprise me. Most centaurs went into more physical professions due to their attributes. I could imagine why Arden was attracted to him, but it didn’t stop me from being surprised. 

“Well, we officially got together last night, but we’ve been going on dates for a few weeks now. I was going to tell you guys this morning, but Niall got kidnapped, and I figured it wasn’t the time.” The comment about kidnapping caused a confused look from Arden’s boyfriend. “Kidnapping?” Kieran asked. 

“Don’t worry about it. Anyways, Kieran’s going to let us in.” Arden grinned happily. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy for his relationship, but was slightly insulted that they had been going on dates for weeks and he didn’t tell me. “Here’s my fee.” Arden handed Kieran a bill from his wallet. He wasn’t a female, so he had to pay. 

The bouncer refused the money, however. “It’s all right, babe. You and your friends can come on in for free.” He flashed Niamh and me a thumbs up. “W-wow, thanks, Kieran.” Niamh stuttered, returning the thumbs up. “It’s no problem. Have fun!” Kieran used his right hand to open the door for us all. 

I finally got a peek inside of the club. I had been here a few times before, but that was when Arden worked there. Things had since changed. It looked as if it was a brand new location. 

At the back, there was a thin DJ stage that provided just enough space for the turntable to fit. Behind that, there was a screen with neon designs that flashed and thumped to the music. There was a dance floor in the middle where all types of species bounced in beat with the dubstep. To the right, there was a long bar where three bartenders were serving drinks. Couples were trying to have conversations over the blasting music. And to the left, there were lots of standing tables. The club-goers had piled up empty shot glasses and bottles. The club reeked of vodka and alcohol. 

“How is Archangel already so active? It’s only 11 P.M. On a Sunday.” Niamh asked. She had never been here before. “Archangel is a 24-hour club. Some species are nocturnal, and some aren’t. So, this is a club where they can party all day every day. Do you know what Archangel’s tagline is?” I sighed at Arden. The club’s tagline was the worst, and he knew I despised it. 

“Welcome to Archangel; the heaven on earth you’ve always dreamed of!” Arden said it with enthusiastic jazz hands. I practically gagged at the phrase. “That is the cheesiest thing ever to exist. I hate it.” I rolled my eyes and started towards a bartender. 

The one I was approaching was an undine. Undines were beautiful yet soulless water spirits. And, let me tell you, this was a beautiful undine. She had long, crimson flowing hair that framed her face. She had delicate features that complimented said flowing hair. The bartender had pure black eyes with white iris’. For a second, I thought I was falling in love. She was such a gorgeous person.

“E-excuse me?” I muttered, catching the undine’s attention. I wasn’t usually a stutterer, but the bartender was captivating. Niamh and Arden caught up to me. “Oh, hey.” She gave me a small smile, causing my heart to flutter in joy. Niamh sensed my love-struck feelings and stepped in front of me. “Do you know where this man is?” She flashed the bartender a picture of the Coven member. 

“Hey, Allysia.” Arden greeted her. She probably worked here at the same time he did. “Oh, hey, Arden. What are you and these two ladies doing here?” Her eyes shot to me when she spoke. My cheeks flushed red, and I could sense jealousy coming from Niamh. 

Jealousy? Why would she be jealous? I had no clue. 

“As Niamh said, we’re looking for this guy.” Arden motioned to Niamh’s phone. “Oh, him? He’s one of our diamond members. He comes here every other Sunday for drinks in the VIP lounge. Why do you ask?” Allysia cocked her head to the side and stared at me with intrigue. 

Her voice was dry and had a hint of sarcasm, not purposefully. I notice that the undine had a very deadpan personality. I figured that being a bartender and dealing with drunk patrons all night would be tiring. 

“Oh nothing, just want to ask him a f-few questions,” I responded shyly. “Have I seen you around here before?” Allysia focused her attention on me. “Yeah, probably. I used to visit Arden while he worked. I never came for drinks, though—I’ve been sober for quite a few years now.“ I explained with a lot of nervous hand motions. I became flustered very quickly around attractive people. 

“Oh. Well, I was going to ask if we should go out for drinks sometimes, but maybe we’ll have to do coffee instead.” My cheeks lit up with red as the bartender spoke. Niamh practically blocked me from the undine, however. “Alright, thanks for your help. We have to go now.” Niamh stated with venom in her voice. I wondered why she was acting so rude to Allysia. 

Allysia waved ‘Bye’ to me as Niamh dragged me away from the bar. “Seriously, Juno?” Niamh was angry with me. “What?” I had to shout over the music. She didn’t say anything, but instead just groaned in frustration. 

“Guys, focus. There’s the VIP lounge. We have to find a way to get in.” Arden pointed to a glass box that was far above the club. Multiple people relaxed on white furniture while sipping fancy cocktails. I had just noticed the large, diamond chandelier hanging above the dance floor. 

What if that fell on someone?

“Oh jeez, there’s Nictis. He is the worst. He hates me, Kieran, and everyone else.” Arden scowled at the bouncer in front of the lunge. “Okay, but personal vendetta’s don’t matter right now. If we just explain what’s happening-” Niamh was cut off by Arden. 

“That’s not going to work. Nictis won’t believe you. He’s a Taurus.” He squinted angrily while crossing his arms. 

“...What? What does being a Taurus have to do with anything?” 

“It means that Nictis is stubborn.” 

I sighed at him. “You could have just said that...” I muttered. 

“Well, what are we supposed to do now?” Niamh, once again, looked defeated. This trip to the club wasn’t going the way I planned it in my head. Suddenly, seeing her depressed face, I was filled with determination. There was no doubt I was going to make sure that my friend and her brother were reunited. 

“I have a plan.” 

I couldn’t see Arden as he crawled through the vent, but I certainly could hear him. “Ugh, who cleans this place!? I’m going to have an allergic reaction to all the dust! And my best outfit is being spoiled!” For the second time that day, I rolled my eyes at his hysterics. “Why do I have to be the one doing this?!” I could Arden yell. 

We were in the male washroom, shoving Arden through a vent. Niamh blocked the door off with multiple ‘Wet Floor’ signs she found in the janitor’s office. “Because, you’re the skinniest out of all of us. You know for a fact I won’t fit in there!” I called out. He considered responding but soon realized I was right. 

“Okay, so once you get above the chandelier, you need to jiggle the screws out of place. Don’t drop it yet, I’ll use one of my spells to do that when the time is right.” He nodded at me but ended up smacking his head against the top of the vent. Niamh laughed at his pain. 

“Remember that time you swung from the chandelier and nearly crashed into the bar?” I was referencing when Arden used to work at Archangel. One night, he got a little bit too crazy. He convinced the DJ to put ‘Chandelier’ on and did a fully choreographed number where he swung on the chandelier. The crowd was ecstatic—these were the types of performances that they loved. Arden then proceeded to crash into the bar, narrowly missing the wall of drinks that had been set up. That was what made him so infamous among the staff. That was also what got him fired. 

“You want me to do what?” 

I pointed to the mob of dancers. “You need to make a dance circle and clear out the center of the floor. So, when the chandelier drops, nobody gets hurt. I’ll just launch whoever is dancing out of the way. I would do that without a dance circle, but there are too many people to get them away in time.” 

Niamh looked at the dance floor with sadness in her eyes. She wasn’t exactly the best dancer. “Why can’t you do this? Or why can’t Arden do this and I go in the vent? You know he’s the dancer of the group—not me.” 

“No offense, but Arden is the only one of us who can fit in there. He’s tiny, so it’ll be easier. Plus, I have to save the dancer and sneak into the diamond lounge.” I told her, putting my hands on my hips. 

“Are you sure we need to do all this just to distract the bouncer? Can’t we just start a fight or something?” Niamh groaned. She was getting on my nerves. I gave a stern look, and she sighed in compliance. “Fine...” 

This plan’s goal was to distract Nictis and get him away from the VIP lounge and the diamond members. It wasn’t long before Arden finished in the vents, and Niamh had formed a large and excited dance circle. It was a perfect size, so no one would be hurt when the chandelier dropped. Arden walked up to me, brushing dust off of his glittery suit. He looked at Niamh’s dance circle in shock. 

“Did you seriously put her on dance duty and make me go in the vents?!” He shouted angrily. I simply shrugged. “Hello!? EARTH TO JUNO! I have a degree in dance, and I have starred in some of the most popular Broadway shows known to elf-kind!” I laughed at him. As usual, Arden was as dramatic as possible. 

Niamh stumbled out of the crowd as a breakdancer caused cheers to erupt. “Dance circle is set.” She flashed me a weak thumbs up while heaving. Niamh wasn’t the most athletic, so she nearly killed herself while dancing. The three of us were waiting at the bottom of the staircase that lead to the VIP lounge. I had been holding my polished, oak wand and waiting for the perfect chance to drop the chandelier. 

Finally, the moment came. I discreetly stuck it towards the ceiling and muttered a spell. The screws fell to the ground, causing the chandelier to slip from its spot on the roof. The world seemed to slow as I re-adjusted my wand towards the breakdancer. No one had noticed that a chandelier was about to crush him. 

As I whispered another spell, I sent the breakdancer flying across the room. A few milliseconds later, the chandelier replaced the dancer’s spot. There were shrieks as everyone flinched. I noticed Allysia didn’t move or react to the crash. Immediately, people began yelling in panic. 

Nictis sprinted down the stairs and began trying to calm all of the club-goers. 

“I told you it would work,” I muttered towards Arden in a smug tone. He rolled his eyes as we crept up the stairs to the VIP lounge. We made it to the top, and I burst through the door. All of the diamond members jumped at our entrance. One woman at the private bar even dropped her drink. 

Arden pointed to the guy who had supposedly attacked Niamh and kidnapped Niall. “There!” My friend exclaimed. The man began freaking out and scurried over the furniture. He left through the back exit, so all three of us followed in suit. His wife stopped me before I could make it out of the door. 

“Excuse me! Miss, what is going on? Is there a reason you’re chasing my husband?” I realized that the wife was a half-breed, just like Niamh. Yet somehow, her husband was in a coven dedicated to killing them. “I’m so sorry to disturb you ma’am, but your husband might be part of a murder cult, might have kidnapped one of my best friend’s brother, and might have attacked her. We just have some questions to ask him.” I reassured. Her jaw fell open, but I didn’t have time to explain. 

I shoved the door open and was lead to the roof. Arden and Niamh were cornering the Coven member. “Please...” He stuck out his hands defensively. “Did you kidnap Niall Agapi in the dryad province and attack Naimh Agapi outside the Igraine apartment complex?” I yelled at him as he met my eyes with a concerned face. The man looked scared, but also kind of sad. His emotions confused me. “Let me go.” He practically begged us. 

“Answer the question.” Niamh snarled. The man shook his head. “I’m sorry about your brother.” He lowered his hands and gave Niamh an empathetic look. 

“What did you do to him?!” She screamed, trying to stay confident. She was scared of whatever this monster had done to her sibling. 

The guy had long black hair that rested on his shoulders. I could tell he was a warlock due to the burn mark on his left wrist. Warlocks were wizards or witches that had given into black magic in search of more power. If it was a Warlock born from two other Warlocks, they only had one burn mark. If you were a Warlock who purposefully decided to pursue black magic, you had a mark on both wrists. You could tell whether or not someone sold their souls to the pits of hell by these burns. 

I was beginning to get scared of him. These were mighty wizards that, more than often, used magic offensively. He could seriously hurt one of us. 

I saw him whispering a spell and panicked. “Guys, get ba-” I didn’t have time to finish before the man let out a powerful burst of energy. It was so powerful that the rest of us on the roof were knocked down. The man was now glowing a navy blue. 

It was a speed spell. 

He took off—jumping across the rooftops of nearby buildings. “I got him!” Arden and I said in unison. He was much faster than me, but I had a speed spell too. I gave it to both of us, so we had a fragment of a chance to catch him. We followed the Warlock’s path and left Niamh on the roof.

As he had mentioned earlier, Arden was a classically trained dancer. He knew any type of dancing you could imagine and had the technique of a god. That was most likely what gave him the upper hand in the race to catch this guy. 

He leaped across the gaps between buildings gracefully while I struggled not to fall flat on my face. I ended up doing that anyway. I misjudged the fifth jump between buildings and landed in a dumpster below. Luckily, I hadn’t landed on anything too gross. It was just a bunch of trash bags filled with old socks. I mean, I guess it was kind of disgusting. I reeked of feet afterward. 

Arden didn’t trip at all. He was very agile. I think I even saw him do a grand jete over a massive gap. However, he did almost fall through the roof of a thrift shop. Eventually, the warlock’s spell wore off, and Arden managed to tackle him. The four of us (Niamh took her time catching up) ended up in a mini-mart’s parking lot. I had scraped up my knees while trying to get out of the dumpster. 

Arden held the warlock in a chokehold until he decided to talk. “Please... stop...” He stifled out. I nodded at Arden, and he let the guy go. “Want do you want from me?” He asked, sitting up on the pavement. Our intense chase scene piqued the interest of multiple on-lookers. 

“Who are you? What is this ‘Coven’ thing? Why did you kidnap my brother? Where is he?” Niamh was holding back angry tears. 

“I’m Orion Vosset, a potion ingredient merchant from the witch province. The Coven is a group of men who believe they need to kill all half-breeds to purge the world. They think that once they do this, a goddess will reward them. We kidnapped your brother because he’s a half-breed. They’re holding him hostage at the ‘Carden & Co.’ bottle factory in the goblin province.” The man rubbed his sore back, which Arden had jumped on top of. 

“He’s lying,” I said with confidence. “I know what the video said, but his wife is a half-breed. There’s no way he would be in a cult about murdering them if one of the people he loves the most is a half-breed.” I explained to my two friends. 

“Listen, the reason I’m even in this ‘religion’ is that I don’t want my family to die! My kids and my wife are all half-breeds. The Coven leader swore not to kill them if I joined.” Orion ran his hands through his hair in a stressed way. I could see his eyes begin to fill up with tears. 

“O-okay,” I was uncomfortable with his clear display of emotion. Things only got more awkward as he began letting out sobs. “Can you give us an address?” I asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

Orion was very odd. He was in The Coven—a religion dedicated to killing innocent people—yet he had so much sympathy. From apologizing to Niamh to crying over the fact that he was betraying his family, he was a better person than I pegged him to be. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still pretty horrible he was related to the murder of innocents, but it wasn’t as bad as it could be. 

Orion nodded while wiping away tears. I gave him my phone, and the warlock typed an address into my GPS. “Man, this was my best suit...” He muttered. The knees on his pants had been ripped up, same with his elbows. The fall into the parking lot was sure to leave a few bruises. 

“Hey, weren’t you in that one musical?” The warlock asked Arden. He snapped his fingers, trying to remember the name. “The one with the... umm... oh! Why can’t I remember the name...” 

It was awkward, the three of us standing in a mini-mart parking lot, waiting for Orion to remember the name of a musical Arden starred in. “It had the vampires in it...” He continued thinking. “Oh, ‘A Fangtastic Night’?” Arden’s face lit up. He played a side-character but loved the musical nevertheless. 

“You played the cripple, right?” Orion began smiling. Niamh and I stood there, embarrassed. Now wasn’t the best time for Arden to be recognized. 

The two fawned over the musical as the other two of us watched. “Guys, I hate to break this up, but we need to go.” Niamh pointed to the GPS on my phone. “O-oh, okay.” The warlock muttered with a disappointed tone. Just as I stepped onto the sidewalk, he grabbed my arm and forced me to face him. 

“H-hey, just don’t tell the Coven that I told you. Or they’ll come for my family if they know I exposed them. O-okay? Please.” Orion had real panic in his eyes. I wouldn’t jeopardize the safety of his family, even if he was in a murderous religion. 

“Yeah, don’t worry,” I assured him. 

“T-thank you.” 

I turned around and began running towards a nearby bus stop. Arden and Niamh stayed close behind me. 

“Good luck!” 

~

It took a while to get to the factory, considering it was the next province over. We were given many estranged looks on the bus. I mean, without context, it was weird to see three beaten up clubgoers; one covered in dust and bruises, one that stunk of feet, and one with dried tear stains covering her cheeks. 

But, we eventually made it. It was a large factory that looked almost abandoned. Vines crawled up the sides and reached through shattered windows. There was 'Carden and Co.' painted on the side, but the words were chipped off. 

"Did you guys know this is the place I get the bottles for my potions from?" I leaned in close to talk to them. The three of us were standing outside of the main double doors. "You've been buying bottles from The Coven?" Niamh questioned. 

"...Well, I obviously didn't know the Coven was the company I've been buying from!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air. 

"Are we going to go in?" Arden questioned, reaching for the door handle. "Wait!" Niamh yelled, smacking his hand away from it. "Ah! Jeez Niamh, what is it?" He began massaging his knuckles where Niamh had hit. 

"Look!" She diverted our attention to a security camera hidden in the vines. I immediately sprinted towards the trees, away from the camera's view. I didn't want the Coven to see us sneaking in their base. "They can't see us; the light isn't on." Arden motioned to a minuscule bulb in the corner of the security cam. 

"Well, it might turn on!" I yelled at him. They shuffled to where I was. The factory was hidden deep in the forest. The closest civilization was a small village of goblins kilometers away, so we were practically deserted there. 

"How are we going to get inside if they're watching us?" I whispered to them. The bushes I was hiding had scraped up my arms. "Why are you whispering?" Arden asked me. I realized I was doing it subconsciously. "Whatever..." I grumbled, climbing out of the bush. 

"Focus! We need to find Niall." Niamh reminded us what the whole purpose of this trip had been about. I began taking it more seriously. 

"We could just destroy the camera." I offered with a shrug. 

"But there could be other ones in the factory," Arden stated while placing a finger on his chin to think. "Well, what if we took out the screens themselves?" Niamh said. 

We both turned to her. "What do you mean?" I stepped out of the bush and stood with my two friends. "Well, if we find where the camera feed is going to, we can just break the screens. Whether the cameras are on or not, they won't be able to see." 

What she was saying was surprisingly genius. 

"How are we going to find these screens, though? We don't know this place." I muttered, brushing off leaves. There seemed to be a looming smell of lavender around the factory, and it wasn't just Niamh. It definitely smelled better than I did. 

"One of us will have to go in there, even if the cameras are on..." Arden whispered. 

Nobody said anything for a minute. It seemed as if none of us wanted to go into the Coven's creepy factory. "Should we pull straws or something?" Niamh asked. 

"Fine... I guess I'll go..." I muttered. 

"Thank goodness." Arden sighed. "I've already ruined my best outfit; I wasn't going into a disturbing factory owned by a cult on top of it." 

I sent him a nasty glare while approaching the double doors. "Thanks, Arden, you're making me feel amazing about this," I said sarcastically. I struggled to walk properly with my heels. I nearly tripped, again, because the dirt was very unstable. 

Niamh opened the door for me. I peeked in, taking in the metal scene of the factory. There were lots of strange machines that were supposedly used for making bottles. I saw multiple pairs of gloves for workers on a plastic table. 

Arden shoved me inside before I got the chance to walk in myself. "Hey!" I whisper-shouted at him. I had no clue if anyone was in the factory, but if anyone was, I didn't want them to hear me. 

"Quickly, go find the security room." He encouraged me. "If I die, make sure my aunt gives Wednesday the right type of cat food cause she's allergic to some," I whispered, beginning to creep through the building. My heels made echoing noises on the pavement. Now, the lavender smell was incredibly intense. It was the only thing I could smell. And thank goodness for that; I was beginning to make myself sick with the scent of feet. 

I wondered where all of the socks had come from, anyway. Why did they have so many socks? Why did the socks smell so bad? Was it Athlete's Foot? Why did they all get thrown out? Like, they smelled, but there are such things as a washing machine. 

I had a surprising amount of questions about these mysterious garbage bags filled with socks. 

The rooms without machines were coated in a thick layer of dust. It didn't look like anyone had been here for a long time. 

But that's when I spotted it. Up a set of stairs, there was a room with a security guard in it. He was studying the camera feeds intensely. I started to sneak up the metal stairs to take him down, but a hand wrapped around my mouth. 

I went to scream until I realized it was Niamh who had snuck up on me. She let go, and I managed to breathe. Her hand weirdly smelt like broccoli. 

"What was that for?!" I whisper-screamed at her. "Shoot, sorry. I figured you would scream if I scared you, and I didn't want you to alert the security guard." She muttered quietly 

We were both crouched near the top of the stairs. 

"Speaking of which—how are we going to take him down?" I squinted through the room's window and studied everything. He was a big guy, so we couldn't defeat him by brute strength. "I can use my dryad magic." She informed me. 

"What spell would you be using?" I whispered while we were both examining the security guard. He had Chinese leftovers covering his desk. I spotted a spring-roll that made my stomach growl—it had been quite a few hours since I'd eaten. 

"I'd use the roots spell you taught me. It shouldn't be too hard, especially because the guard's room is already covered in vines." Once again, Niamh said something genius. She snuck past the door of the room and towards a window. Half of it was shattered. The other half was so dirty you could barely see out of it. 

From where I was, I couldn't see what she was doing. I assumed she had manipulated the ivy on the side of the building to grow into vines. I taught her that spell as a teenager when our teacher forced us to learn about dryads. Plus, she lived with them, so it proved useful whenever she had to garden with her fae mom. 

The roots shattered the windows, wrapping the room tightly. It would be impossible for the guard to break through the door now. They also pierced through the electronic screens, rendering them all useless. Now he couldn’t see the camera feed.

Out of nowhere, bullet shots rang through the building. The security guard was trying to shoot his way out. I wasn't sure how bullets from a pistol would destroy the roots. 

It was a good try on his part, I guess. 

I high-fived Niamh joyously, glad that our plan was going well. I heard footsteps as Arden came running in behind me. "Are you guys, all right? I heard bullet shots." He said with a worried expression. "Yeah, we're good. This guy is trying to escape Niamh's roots by shooting them." I shrugged. The security guard wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. 

I stopped crouching and stood up. Now, there was no one to hide from. We just had to find Niall and get out of here. "So, where are we going now?" Arden motioned to the plethora of rooms we could choose from.

"What about the basement?" Niamh walked away from the window and down to where I was on the stairs. I was confused. "How do you know there's a basement?" 

She pointed, and I followed her finger to a rusted elevator. 

We all stood for a second in silence. 

"I'm not going in that death trap," Arden stated. 

"What if Niall is down there?" Niamh asked with a hopeful voice. "If you want to ride that thing, it's going to kill you." He had a deadpan voice. "Hey. Be positive." I scolded my friend. I didn't want him to upset Niamh, who had been through a lot today. 

"Yay! If you ride in that thing, you'll totally die!" He gave me a thumbs up and a smile, being 'positive' like I said. "I'm going down there," Niamh spoke with more confidence than I had seen her use all day. "I'm serious; that is a safety hazard," Arden warned us. I followed my female friend to the elevator. 

"I'll come with you," I muttered while placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Niamh gave me a thankful look, and we just stared at each other for a while. 

"Fine, I guess I'll be the third wheel." Arden sighed as he shoved his way through the two of us. "T-third wheel?" Niamh stuttered. "Yeah, since you two are too busy giving each other goo-goo eyes, I'll be the adult." I laughed at what he said. 

There had never been any romantic tension between Niamh and me. The only sentimental thing we had ever done was square dance together in high-school. That was it. Although, Niamh sometimes acted strangely when there was romance between another person and me. Like what happened earlier at Archangel. Allysia asked me out, but Niamh was too busy being jealous to let me respond. 

"Oh please, we're just friends." I stepped into the rusted elevator. There was just enough room for the three of us. I saw a flash of sadness across Niamh's face before she stood next to me. 

This wasn't a typical elevator. There were no buttons to the basement, only a keypad with numbers on it. "Insert the key." A robotic voice told us from the pad. "We need a code. Do you guys have any clue?" I asked my two friends. They shrugged. 

My fingers danced across the keypad as I inserted the code. We had no idea what it could be. I decided to put it in '1234'. Maybe the Coven would be dumb enough to make their key as simple as that. Alas, it didn't work. 

Yet, somehow, the elevator doors slammed shut. "Woah, did you do it?" Arden questioned while studying the keypad. 

"Guys," Niamh grabbed our attention by pointing at the roof of the elevator. At first, I didn't see anything, but a purple smoke slowly floated in. "I knew this was a bad idea!' Arden exclaimed while backing into the corner. It shot towards me, but Niamh dove in front of the smoke. I watched in horror as it filled her mouth and nose. 

Niamh tried to cough it out but to no avail. She sucked the smoke down her throat and collapsed onto the floor. "No... no, no! Niamh!" I started shaking her body. I prayed that she didn't just kill herself to save me. 

My thoughts were cut-off as I was sucker-punched directly in the jaw. By whom? Niamh, apparently.

She sent me tumbling into Arden's arms. I flipped myself in over to see her standing up. "Niam-" Arden began but stopped when he saw her face. Her cheeks had gross, bulging, purple veins, and her eyes were now pitch black. 

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" He reached out to touch Niamh, but she grabbed his arm and flipped him onto the floor. He smacked his head against the elevator floor the same way he did in the vent. Arden immediately let out a groan of pain. 

I realized Niamh wasn't the same person. That smoke had done something to her. 

I dodged a punch and grabbed her arm. I flipped her onto the floor, right next to Arden. He started to get up, but Niamh elbowed him in the stomach. "Okay, I'm staying down." He moaned in pain. She jumped up and tried to kick me. 

I dodged it with a yell of shock. "When was Niamh a good fighter?" I muttered while round-house kicking her in the stomach. She slowly keeled over in pain. 

"The smoke is a curse; it must have brainwashed Niamh to fight us since we didn't get the code right," I yelled at Arden while ripping my handbag open. There were the emergency potions I mentioned earlier. One of them was a curse cleansing potion, perfect for the situation I found myself stuck in. 

"Hold her down," I ordered Arden. My fingers struggled to yank the cork out of the bottle. Arden jumped up from the floor, wrapping his arms around Nimah's neck. He wrapped his legs around her body and practically sat on her back. Arden then proceeded to use his left hand to smack her head. 

Finally, I got the cork out and raised the bottle to her lips. Niamh kneed me in the gut, causing me to drop the potion nearly. Niamh could barely hold Arden's weight. She fell to her knees and tried to get him off. Their fight had gotten to the point that he was strangling her. I took this opportunity to shove the bottle in her mouth and pour the liquid down her throat. The potion made Niamh's body completely collapse onto the floor. 

Suddenly, there were squeaks of metal, and the elevator began moving. I half expected it to fall off the rails and plummet us to our deaths. 

Arden rolled off of her and onto the floor. He sat for a second, just heaving. I did the same. After she jabbed my stomach extremely hard, I thought I would throw up the pizza I had for lunch hours ago. 

Niamh woke up a few minutes later. "H-hey, what happened?" She saw our pained expressions and grew scared. "Nothing, other than the fact that the purple smoke possessed you and made you fight us. I had to use my curse-cleansing potion on you. So, if your mouth tastes like cheddar cheese, that's why." I explained to her with a sigh. 

"Curse cleansing potions taste like cheddar cheese?" Arden asked me. I shrugged. "Based on my research, yes." I massaged my jaw that Niamh sucker-punched. "Oh no, I am so sorry." She stuttered. 

"It's all right; it wasn't your fault..." Arden reassured her. 

We sat in silence for another minute. "Why did you run in front of me?" I questioned Niamh. "What?" She responded. "The smoke came shooting at me, but you stepped in front of me and let it possess you instead. Why did you do that?" I ran my fingers through my matted hair. She didn't reply, but just there. 

"...I-I don't know. But, it's a good thing I did. If you were the one possessed, we wouldn't have any idea how to save you." Niamh gave me a weak smile. 

Eventually, the doors opened. They revealed the entrance to a large cave. The lavender scent was even more pungent down there if that was somehow possible. It already smelled strong in the factory itself. Torches were hanging off each wall. 

"The bottle factory was just a cover-up for their cave hide-out?" Arden questioned while stepping out of the elevator. I crawled off the floor and followed in suit. There was the echoing noise of water dripping from a stalactite and my heels. I had begun to regret wearing them. They were what made me trip on the rooftop and made a thoroughly annoying noise when I stepped on hard surfaces. 

The grinding noise of stone filled my ears as Niamh joined us. In the cavern past the cave, there were shifting stone walls. I watched in shock and amazement. "What in the world is that?" Niamh said, shuffling forwards to get a better look. We all walked forwards and studied the walls. The grinding noise stopped as the walls froze in place. 

They were so tall; there was no way we could climb them or maneuver around them. We just had to follow the path they were making. There were two different directions we could go; left or right. "Is this a maze?" I peeked around the corner and looked for someone. "Seriously. I hate mazes." Arden complained. 

One of the walls moved to reveal the third direction. "We should split up. One of us has to be able to find the way out." I stated while turning to them. 

"Uh-uh, no way, you've seen horror movies, Juno. One of the characters always dies when they split up. Bad idea." Arden crossed his arms and shuddered at the idea of one of us dying. "But, we'll cover more ground," I argued. 

"I agree with Juno." Niamh nodded. I stuck my tongue out at Arden in a teasing way. "Ugh, fine. I guess I'm out-voted." He sighed. I took the right, Niamh took the left, and Arden reluctantly took the middle. 

I walked through the maze. Nothing exciting was happening. 

But I spoke too soon—multiple savage Pegasus's dove down from the cave ceiling to attack me. One even tried snatching my handbag. 

I whipped out my wand and pointed it at them threateningly. The group of animals all landed in front of me, blocking my way. "Can you guys leave me alone? I'm kind of in the middle of something." I asked them. I had no clue whether or not they could understand me. All the first Pegasus did was cock their head to the side. 

"Get out of my way! Please!" I yelled. I hated hurting animals and didn't want to use magic on them. A whistle sounded through the cavern, causing the magical animals to fly away. They left me in shock and confusion. 

The walls shifted open to reveal a large statue in the center of the maze. I struggled to walk, once again, because of the uneven cave floors. But I made it there eventually. 

The statue was one of a witch. Her face was blank, but I could tell from the wand in her hand. I also found out where the lavender smell originated. Someone had piled hundreds of lavender flowers at the base of the statue, almost like an offering. 

"Welcome." An unfamiliar voice said. I whipped out my wand and shuffled around the statue. I spotted a man in the white robe and the pendant hanging around his neck. 

It was a Coven member. 

"Hey! Who are you?!" I shouted at him. 

I spotted Niamh and Arden behind him. But, they were on their knees, and someone had tied their hands behind their backs. Niamh's face was stained with tears, even more than before. "Guys! Oh my gosh, are you okay?" They didn't respond, just gave me pleading eyes. 

"What did you do to them?" I growled. I kept my wand raised and approached the Coven member. I finally saw the rest of the Coven behind him. 

Then I saw it. 

One of them was holding a gun up to Niamh's head. "Let them go!" I screamed. Tears of fear and anger rose in my eyes. 

"Do you know who I am?" The prominent Coven member asked. 

"You're a murderous jerk who is threatening to kill my friends, now let them go!" I slowly approached the group. I had to circle a vast, bottomless pit that was behind the statue. 

"I am the leader of the Coven. We are a group of enlightened people dedicated to cleansing the world." His voice was soft. "No, you're a cult dedicated to murdering innocent half-breeds," I shouted. All he did was sigh. 

"Let me explain." He tried to calm me, but I was riled up. Seeing my friends so vulnerable hurt me. 

"Please, do." I scowled. 

"Years and years ago, a man had a vision. He saw an ever-powerful witch killing a half-breed. He thought it was a message from a goddess, who would reward him for eradicating the species of half-breeds. So, he began kidnapping and sacrificing in hopes of gaining immortality from this goddess witch. That was over a thousand years ago. But, now, people have rejected this idea. They embraced these disgusting breeds that should never have been created. Over a year ago, I had the same vision. I saw this goddess witch killing a half-breed, and I knew I must fulfill her wish. I have gained a following, and now, we can all finally do what's right." 

The video we watched earlier was more accurate than I could have ever imagined. These were kidnappers and murderers that were now holding my best friends hostage. "You are all monsters. You have killed and murdered innocent people. It doesn't matter what species you are, whether it be a pure-breed or half-breed, you don't deserve death." I called out. My voice echoed throughout the cave. 

"Species are never supposed to be mixed; it wasn't what this goddess intended. Now, we have the chance to fix this. And destroy disgusting people." 

Niamh was a half-breed, and her life was in danger. My brain was screaming at me to do something, but I was frozen with fear. I couldn't stand losing her or Arden. 

"What did you do to Niall Agapi?" I asked him. The leader didn't say anything but exchanged looks with his Coven members. "He was a half-breed. We had to get rid of him." 

My heart dropped. 

"No..." Niamh sobbed. Her tears dripped onto the stone floor. "You killed him!? You killed an innocent person just because of a stupid vision!?" Now, my tears began falling. 

The emotions I was feeling were overwhelming—anger, fear, sadness, guilt, and remorse. I remembered meeting Niall in high school, and he had now died. I was torn up. 

"You can join us. You can free your soul and receive a reward for purifying the Earth." Now, the Coven leader was trying to recruit me. 

"You have some nerve. You have some nerve to try and recruit me after threatening to kill my best friends and killing one of their brothers. Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are!?" I exclaimed. 

"I am the one who will save you." 

The anger I felt was overwhelming, so I did something I would regret for the rest of my life. I screamed out a death spell, which the Coven member narrowly dodged. 

And it hit Niamh. 

The green bolt entered her chest, and her body fell limp. 

Horror filled my body. I had just killed my best friend. I immediately let out a scream of shock. Her eyes rolled back into her head as the Coven member lowered his gun. 

"Niamh!? NIAMH!?" Arden yelled in fear. I ignored the Coven and sprinted to her side. The spell hadn't yet sunk in, but she was already so weak. 

"No, no, I'm sorry, please, no, Niamh, I'm sorry!" I began sobbing uncontrollably. I placed my head on her chest and cried. 

"Juno..." She muttered. 

As I clutched them, I realized her hands were cold. "No, please, I didn't mean it!" What I was saying was incomprehensible due to my tears. 

"It's okay." She placed her cold hand on the side of my face and forced me to look at her. "I swear, it's okay. I need to tell you something." 

I listened intently. I blocked the rest of the world out and focused on Niamh. The colour in her eyes was fading, and I struggled to accept what was happening. I struggled to accept any of this had happened. 

It all seemed so crazy; the cult, the rooftop chase, the security cameras, the cursed elevator, the Pegasus's, Niall's death, and now Niamh's death? No, it wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. 

"I love you, Juno. I've loved you since we were teens. I would have told you this morning, but Niall went missing, and there was too much going on. Everything about you, I love; your determination, your sarcasm, your cat, everything. I was going to give this to you this morning," She stopped to reach in her pocket and hand me a lavender flower. "But I didn't get the chance. I love you." 

I was overwhelmed by sadness and depression. Looking back, I realized it was obvious. It was the most obvious thing ever. Yet, I was too dumb to know it. I was too stupid to realize that Niamh loved me. But now, it was too late. It was too late for us to live happily together. It was too late for me to love her back. 

"Please don't leave me, please... I need you... I love you." There was a waterfall of tears flooding my face. I couldn't begin to believe what was happening. 

It was almost as if every moment I had with her flashed before my eyes. As her expression faded and death consumed her, I cried. I cried, and I cried, and I cried until my eyes hurt, and I could barely breathe. She was one of the most amazing people I had ever known. I grew up with her, and now, she was gone. 

I would never get to hang out with her again; I would never get to have another movie night, we would never get to gossip over brunch with Arden, we would never be happy together. 

There was complete silence in the cave. Niamh's body was freezing, and her face was lifeless. 

I just killed the love of my life. 

"You're the goddess..." The Coven leader said after what felt like hours of pain and silence. "This was my vision. A witch was killing a half-breed, and that's what you just did..." 

I couldn't believe what he was saying. The guilt of Niamh's death was weighing on my shoulders already, and now I have the Coven thinking I'm their god. 

"We found her! We found the goddess that will cleanse this world!" As I twisted around, the crowd of Coven members bowed to me. But it didn't feel good at all. It felt like on top of Niamh's, the deaths of all of the other half-breeds were now my fault. They killed dozens of innocent people because of me. 

I placed Nimah's limp body on the stone and turned to them. When I looked at Arden, he had an expression of fear and pain on his face. Was he afraid of me? 

"You are the scum of the Earth. You are all criminals who deserve the severest punishment. You deserve suffering for what you have inflicted on others." I growled. Their expressions were replaced by those of fear and regret. 

I whipped my wand out and launched the Coven leader into the pit behind the witch's statue. I gripped the flower Niamh gave me in my hand. 

"Please, mercy on us, goddess!" A Coven member pleaded. The one that was threatening Niamh tossed the gun into the pit and held his hands up. I was about to use another death spell, but Arden stepped in front of me. I managed to stop in time, so I didn't kill him too. 

"Niamh, what are you doing?" Arden had been crying too. There was no doubt he was just as torn up about Niamh as I was. 

"Don't you remember Orion?" 

"How could I forget?" I said while lowering my wand. 

"Remember how the only reason he joined the Coven was to protect his family." 

"...Where are you going with this?” I got the feeling he wasn't pleased with my fit of rage against the Coven members. 

"Please, just think about the families of these Coven members. Are you going to murder them in cold blood and steal the father and husband from these families?" 

Another knot formed in my stomach. I didn't want even more deaths weighing on me, but they weren't innocent. Would these families wish to have fathers and husbands that are murderers? 

"These are disgusting murderers. Would their children and spouses miss them after the crimes they've done?" I asked, raising my wand again. I couldn't stop the flood of angry tears rushing down my face. There was a deep pain in my chest that made me want to lay down and continue crying. 

"Juno..." Was all Arden had to say to get me to break down. The depressed tone Arden was using tore at my emotions, unlike anything else. 

I fell to my knees, sobbing as I did over Niamh's body. It felt as if some had sucked the air in my lungs out of me. There was a pain in my heart, and I thought I was going to pass out. The emotional pain I was experiencing was so intense, it felt as if it was hurting physically. 

Arden fell to the ground next to me. He ripped the Ziplock the Coven had tied his hands up with. He enveloped me in a hug as I sobbed. 

Please don't leave me, please... I need you... I love you. 

~

It was weeks after Niamh's death. A judge dealt with the trial, and dozens of men were going to jail. It turns out I didn't kill the Coven leader that day. He caught himself on a ledge in the pit. When the police fished his half-dead body out, I had to stop myself from killing him for a second time. 

"Today, the Coven leader's death row stay ends. They say he chose to be hanged." Arden said, sliding a mug of apple cider onto the table. "What did the rest of the Coven members get charged with?" I questioned while clutching the hot cup. I placed my lips on the ceramic edge and took a long drink. 

"Well, they were charged with first-degree murder, breaking and entering, tax evasion, homicide, attempted murder, and conspiracy against all half-breeds. The judge charged the security with felony murder. As per your request, those with families will be allowed on parole after serving a minimum of 30 years. The judge pardoned Orion, and those that don't have families were sentenced to life in prison." 

What he said confused me. "Tax evasion?" I questioned. "Yeah. Apparently, a lot of them had a partnership in the factory but didn't pay a year's worth of taxes." He shrugged. "Oh..." I muttered to myself. We were hanging out in Niamh's cottage. We bought it off of the government when they were almost forced to sell it. My aunt pitched in with the loan since she knew how close the three of us were. 

"They also found this on Niamh's body." Arden slid a letter onto the wooden table the same way he did with the mug. "It's addressed to you. I think you should read it in the garden." There was my name on the envelope in Niamh's cursive handwriting. 

Arden was referencing Niamh's garden. Because she lived with dryads, she was very in touch with nature. She had a gorgeous flower garden behind the house that she treated better than Arden and me. 

I stepped out of the screen door and into the crisp fall air. I used my nail to slit the envelope open, to reveal a letter Niamh wrote to me. I had to use all of my willpower to stop myself from crying. I walked through the garden and read the letter out loud to myself. 

Dear Juno, 

Know that wherever you are and wherever you go that you'll always be in my thoughts. Know that I am with you forever. 

I couldn't stop myself from starting to sob. The pain I felt weeks ago when I saw her lifeless face had returned, and only one sentence triggered me. 

Each day I look at your face, and I will meditate on strengthening our connection. Each minute that I am standing alone, standing in line, or strolling by myself in the park, I will recite your name to the rhythm of the beating of my heart. Your name will be my mantra, and we will be tantric, even though you are far away. 

I had such an overwhelming sense of admiration for her. She had a dorky smile and an adorable love for nature. If you asked her about it, she would rant for hours on her favourite flowers or this new type of fertilizer she's using. Once, she spent 5 hours explaining the process of irrigation when I asked about it. I missed her more than anything else. 

Every night, when I close my eyes, I will lie down and picture your face. I will imagine your arms around me and our bodies entwined in a tight love embrace. Then I will pray to the heavens above that every day; you receive blessings and grace. 

I took a seat on a wooden bench in the center of a garden. It was facing a pond, where all types of rainbow fish swam. Seeing how much she cared, really hurt me. It hurt that I hadn't realized her affection earlier. It hurt that she died without the love she deserved 

Although I may feel lost and alone inside, I will greet every stranger I meet with the same smile I would give to you. I will treat them with the same kindness, compassion, and understanding that you taught me to receive from you. This is one way I can maintain the memory of the magic that is you. 

While I sobbed at the memory of her, Arden took a seat. He wrapped a comforting arm around my neck and leaned his head on my shoulder. Within the past few weeks, I had felt more emotions than ever before in my life. I promised Niamh I would reunite her with her brother. I felt as if I failed, even though Arden told me that they were together now. 

Know that I am with you yesterday and tomorrow and every day for the rest of your life. Whether near or far, I am with you - always. 

Tears dripped onto the paper as I cried. I couldn't control my sadness when I thought of her. It was like every happy moment in my life couldn't make up for the depression I had been enveloped in. Everything reminded me of her, and it hurt. I wish I had realized it earlier, but I loved her. 

I loved her with every fragment of my heart. 

Love, Niamh


End file.
